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Mix: Time, Radiohead, NBC, HMV

By Charles Starrett ● Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Time Magazine has named the iPhone the top gadget of the year in its list of Top 10 Gadgets. Time says the handset “changed the way we think about how mobile media devices should look, feel and perform.” It describes the design as “exceptional,” while praising the device’s touch screen and myriad of features.

According to a Billboard.biz report, British group Radiohead is in talks with Apple over the release of its latest album, “In Rainbows,” on the iTunes Store. Radiohead’s EMI back catalog remains a glaring omission from the Store, with the group insisting that its albums be sold in their entirety. Previously, Radiohead, no longer under contract with any label, released “In Rainbows” independently through its own website, on a “pay what you like” basis.

Following the removal of its TV programming from the iTunes Store, NBC has announced a partnership with SanDisk to offer NBC television shows on Fanfare, a web-based service that enables users to download TV shows and other video content for playback on the company’s Sansa TakeTV video player.

HMV, a leading music and entertainment retailer in Canada, has begun selling iPods and related accessories at many of their HMV Canada locations. “While the majority of purchased music continues to be in physical form, it’s clear the listening experience of many Canadians is evolving to also include portable music and for the majority of those consumers the digital player of choice is the iPod,” said HMV Canada President Humphrey Kadaner. “As the country’s leading music retailer, it only makes sense that we provide a full music experience for our customers by selling Canada’s leading digital music player.” In addition to the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod classic, and iPod touch lines, a “wide range” of iPod accessories are now available in more than half of all HMV stores, with plans to expand availability to more stores in 2008.

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Comments

1

I don’t understand why insisting that Radiohead albums be sold in their entirety would prevent the albums from being sold through iTunes. There are prenty of “Album only” albums, not just songs, but entire albums where the patron can only purchase the album. That’s nothing new, so there must be something else keeping Radiohead off of iTunes.

Posted by jasonact on December 12, 2007 at 12:35 PM (CST)

1

What Radiohead should do is insist that the Album gets sold as a single Audio File with Chapters. I have a few Concept Albums which I’ve ripped this way, and Chapterized with ChapterTool.
While they’re at it they can insist that every Compilation Album with “Paranoid Android” on it be Shredded.

Posted by Dan Woods on December 12, 2007 at 2:44 PM (CST)

1

What I find funnier is NBC’s move. They remove their product from the iTunes store, claiming that Apple, specifically Steve Jobs, is becoming too powerful with his influence in the entertainment industry because of the marketshare iTunes has. Then they partner with Sansa, of all companies, to offer their shows in a format ONLY compatible with the TakeTV.

By the way, have any of you heard of the TakeTV before? I hadn’t. That about sums it up right there.

Posted by Phillip on December 12, 2007 at 4:59 PM (CST)

1

NBC and Sansa, because 0.00005% (rounded up) of the population may actually buy the thing